1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interior illuminating device for a vehicle, in which operating appliances emit fluorescence by receiving a light from a light source.
2. Related art
Generally, an interior illuminating apparatus for a vehicle of a permeable type has been employed in order to illuminate operating appliances provided on a central console. Specifically, there are arranged in the central console, various operating appliances such as switches, levers, etc. for operating an air conditioner and so on, and a light source is provided behind the operating appliances, so that the operating appliances can be visually confirmed when a light emitted from the light source penetrates front faces of the operating appliances.
However, troublesome works such as complicated wiring work have been required, because a number of electric wires for illuminating devices including light sources have been arranged behind the central console, and connectors have been connected to lead wires of the illuminating appliances.
On the other hand, according to an interior illuminating apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in Japanese Publication No. JP-A-2000-159011 of unexamined patent application, when a receiver detects that a light from a photoelectric transmitter is shielded by a hand of the occupants or so near operating appliances of the vehicle, a light is turned to the operating appliances from a light source which is integrated into an interior lamp, thus simplifying the wiring behind the central console.
However, the art disclosed in the above described publication has had a problem that although visibility will not be enhanced unless the light from the light source accurately irradiates the operating appliances, it would be likely that the operating appliances cannot be effectively irradiated with the light from the light source due to an obstacle such as a driver, auxiliaries inside the vehicle, for example, an interior rear-view mirror for confirming the rear, only because the light source is integrated into the interior lamp. In addition, in case where the light source is integrated into the interior lamp, the light source can be directly observed by the occupants, which is not favorable from a viewpoint of vehicle interior design. Further, there has been such a fear the light for illuminating the central console from a position of the interior lamp is radiated to the exterior of the vehicle through a windshield depending on an irradiation angle of the light, which may give bad influence to a driver on an oncoming vehicle in an opposite lane.